Kontact

UAV Ground Control Station

Overview

Most branches of the United States military operate drones in one capacity or another. Spending on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) is at an all-time high. The 2020 Pentagon request asked for nearly a tenfold increase to the Navy’s spending on large, unmanned surface vehicles. Clearly, unmanned systems are the latest generation of capabilities for navies around the world.

Combining the latest in machine learning and artificial intelligence to enhance autonomy, these unmanned vessels are used to explore and neutralize hazardous areas, collect valuable data, conduct reconnaissance, and more. Up next, robots may be used to support soldiers in complex conflict zones.

Requirements

Our customer is an European defense and security company with a full offering of unmanned solutions for civil and military applications. The Italian navy requested a platform that integrates automatic identification systems, radar, and electro-optic devices for maritime missions. This rotary unmanned air system (RUAV) is to be used for short-range military missions: escorting a Navy vessel through chokepoints, detecting illegal migration of individuals, and more. The customer needed a ground control station for the RUAV. Dual monitor solution Portable and semi-rugged construction High-end graphics and processing power Keyboard with numeric pad Common interface to allow operator to control multiple air vehicles

Solution

Custom MegaPAC L2 as UAV Ground Control Station. Acme designed a custom MegaPAC L2 for this project. The MegaPAC L2 is the perfect starting point with dual 23” displays, semi-rugged build, and high-performance graphic capabilities. We also provided a custom keyboard that included a numeric pad but no touchpad. Other hardware upgrades included a higher end power supply and components that could withstand high humidity settings. Key Benefits: Perform land or maritime operations from rough terrain and in harsh environments. Operations include intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR), anti-submarine warfare (ASW), and combat support. Secured and encrypted transmissions to ship, entire task force, and headquarters for immediate decision making. Full HD video transmission from UAV can be viewed instantaneously by key remote decision makers.
Result
The customer ultimately purchased a custom version of our MegaPAC L2. For more information, please click the link below:
See It in Action
Interested in learning more about how rugged portable platforms are shaping the future of real-time telemetry processing? Visit the International Telemetry Conference (ITC) in Las Vegas, October 20–23, 2025, to see these solutions in action and connect with industry experts driving innovation in telemetry.